I would like some thoughts on which relaxing lock you think is the best. I want to snare on some public land but am always concerned for pet safety so I need to keep the animal alive. Never used a relaxing lock before. What ya think?

If locks do relax it's only A quarter inch at most. Micro locks probably see the ones that I've used that gas the most plat to allow some back up. If an animal jerks hard on the cable once, a link forms and it forms about at that quarter inch. Lock can't reverse past that kink. As far as dogs go, they generally just si5hfirj and wait for you

So a stop at the right spot on the snare will keep it from closing up all the way so the animal can stay alive?

Here in PA we need a stop at 8" from the end of the working part of the CR. And set so as not to get tangled in nearby brushes
180 degree bent washer type are the ones I prefer with the way I set and hang them

No matter the lock you must avoid all entanglement. IMO it’s a bad idea to set any sets where they are likely to be encountered by pets. The trappers always get the black eye from these encounters regardless of the set’s legality.

I agree 100% ADC that’s why I’m asking. Where I plan to snare is far and gone from anything, but because it is public land, I’m just paranoid.

I also ordered the bent washers and some Kaatz relax a locks to see which ones do better.

10-4. Keep in mind if you set snares that keep your catches alive you’ll have a lot of coyotes chew out of the cable leaving a very unfriendly collar on them. So you’ll need to do very early checks and maybe use some 3/32 1x19 cable.

order them as WI cable restraints
we have to use the bent washer type

WI cable restraints on the way🤙
You’re right ADC lucky for me. I can check at Dawn and at dark two times a day so that helps a lot.